Strange Meeting
by Rosa Cooper
Summary: Random oneshot about Sly and Carmelita. Lots of feeling, not much sense.


A/N and **_Disclaimer:_** Okay, this is a kind of pointless oneshot. I was half asleep on the couch and it popped into my head. Which means there will be a lot of feelings, and a general cosy atmosphere (at least, that's what I was hoping for). So my advice before you read this is to grab a blanket, make sure you're warm and sort of tired, and then read it. Perhaps it'll make more sense. Anyway, I don't own Sly Cooper, Carmelita or any seaside villages. And I'm sorry, but I think Sly and Carmelita are slightly out of character. Oh well, enjoy!

'I-'

'I don't want to hear it Ringtail!' Carmelita yelled, pointing her Shock Pistol at the world re-known thief, Sly Cooper.

'But Carm-'

'You're going to jail once and for all!' she shouted at the raccoon only a metre away from her.

Normally Sly would grin and comment on the number of times she had told him this before. But two things stopped him.

The first was that he was backed up, weaponless, against a concrete wall in southern France, with no escape and a very angry policewoman pointing a Shock Pistol in his face. Although it _was_ his fault that Carmelita was so angry with him. Not, as you'd expect, because she had been chasing him for the last four years and not caught him. No, this time he was simply enjoying the sights of the small seaside village that Bentley had set them up in for a break. That's when he noticed the fiery Inspector patrolling the quiet streets and quaint roads. Curious as to why she was here, he began to tail her, and noticed what a lovely posterior she had. So he just had to reach out and give it a pinch.

Well, all hell broke loose then! Carmelita spun, bristling and a little red in the face (a blush perhaps?), and Sly ran for it, the hot-tempered vixen and a round of neon-blue electric bullets following him. The locals didn't know what was happening, or why this gun-wielding fox was tearing up their little village, but the pair ran on. And this time she had him cornered.

The second thing was what Sly was trying to tell her.

'Carmelita-'

'Enough, Cooper.' she commanded, firmly gripping her Shock Pistol and spreading her stance in preparation for the recoil. 'You'll go to jail, and the world will be a better place.'

But her eyes told him that she didn't truly believe it. Her doubt slowly spread to the corners of her mouth, which turned down slightly. Sly saw this. He reached out with his hand.

'Listen to me.' he whispered, stepping closer.

Carmelita looked suspiciously at Sly's raising hand, and looked into his eyes for his hidden motive. She found nothing. His eyes sparkled with kindness, no mischief or trickery like usual. She stared deeper into their brilliant brown depths, and saw glimpses of his soul. He had been broken once, just like her. But he had friends that helped him to rebuild himself, and become the (somewhat) honourable man he was today. She had no one, and never healed properly.

Sly looked into her eyes when their gazes met. Her suspicion was foremost, but slowly it faded away, and through her golden brown orbs, he saw shadows of her inner self. The one she hid from the world. The one Sly found mesmerising. She had been hurt at a young age, just like he had, but her scars still showed. She found it hard to trust, but he also saw a softness in her gaze, and it seemed to be for him. But she held her feelings back, hiding behind her job whenever they met.

Sly's hand tenderly touched Carmelita's face. She looked slightly dazed as she watched the back of his fingers gently touched the side of her mouth, softly brushing against her cheek to the edge of her fur, then slowly, gently, trace her jawbone back to her chin, lifting it slightly so her eyes met his again.

Carmelita's heart warmed and her stomach twisted, her held back emotions bending the bars of their cages. Her fur tingled and the warmth of her heart spread throughout her body, and she looked down, trying to compose herself. Sly's hand reached into her hair, and gently tucked a lock of her dark curls behind her ear. His fingers brushed against the sensitive fur, giving her another tingle. Her arms had dropped to her sides long ago, and now she was struggling to keep a grip on her Shock Pistol. It all felt like a dream, the calm breeze dancing around them, and the afternoon sun soft and warm as it fell to the earth. The feel was so cosy, draining her energy so she could hardly gather enough strength to blink. She looked back up at him, looking again into his eyes.

Even though she was supposed to be arresting the thief in front of her.

Sly smiled. He was being very gentle towards Carmelita, and whether it was the weather or the fact that she probably hadn't been sleeping well lately, but she wasn't repelling him. In fact, she looked very comfortable, and drowsy, with his soft caresses. Taking advantage of the softness that now overcame his often-angry pursuer, he stepped forward again slowly. Carmelita's eyes dragged themselves from his gaze to look down, and distantly she saw that he was only centimetres away. Slowly, she looked back up at him, her head tilted to the side in confusion.

Sly had to stop himself from chuckling. His fiery opponent looked like a small child right now. She looked every bit the image of a young girl asking her parent a question. So innocent, so cute. He had to work hard not to kiss her just then. First he had something to tell her.

'Carmelita,' he said softly, his hand reaching up again to tenderly cup her tilting cheek in his palm. 'I love you.'

She had to stop the small smile that came to her face, tried to stop herself nuzzling the gentle hand that pressed against her cheek. She felt herself letting go of everything. Her prejudices against him, her fears that he didn't care about her feelings, that his flirting was just flirting, and that one day she really would catch him. She let go of these fears, these worries and these anxieties of him, with just three small words.

She was also letting go of her Shock Pistol. Sly noticed and panicked briefly. What if the sound woke Carmelita up from her daze? He'd never have this chance again. Slowly, he let his hand fall from her cheek, and she straightened her head. His hand slid down her neck, past her round shoulder, and down her arm to gently take the Shock Pistol from her loose hold. Without breaking eye contact, he bent slightly and placed it on the ground away from them both. Then he stood, slowly bringing his hand up to rest on her shoulder. His other hand came to lay softly on her waist. He moved closer, still looking at her, a soft smile on his face. Unknowingly, she mirrored it, a gentle smile spread on her own face.

His arms moved to circle her waist, subtly pulling her towards him. They were almost nose-to-nose. Carmelita looked down at his lips and their proximity. She flicked her eyes back to his face. He just smiled at her. She blushed, looking down at his chest. He kept pulling her towards him. One hand slid up her back, past her hair to rest at the bottom of her head.

'This is wrong,' she whispered. Sly was pulling her head towards him, almost imperceptibly. 'I'm supposed to arrest you. I can't do this.' She said, her eyelids drooping slightly. Sly's eyelids drooped slightly as well.

'Who says what's wrong or right?' he questioned softly. He leant towards her slowly, watching her eyes drooping further, and feeling his follow suit. 'Do you love me, like I love you?' he asked, holding his breath as he worried about her answer. Carmelita smiled.

'I never thought I'd say it to you, Ringtail,' she said dazedly, her eyes half-closed a beautiful smile on her beautiful features as she tilted her head to the side. 'But yes, I love you Sly.'

He gave her a grateful, loving smile, breathing normally once more. 'I hoped you might,' he teased kindly, his eyes drooping further as his head tilted opposite to Carmelita.

Her eyes were almost closed, like Sly's, his lips millimetres away, so close to her own. So close…

'Damn you raccoon.' she whispered. Sly smiled, and kissed her.

Soft, warm lips pressed lovingly against each other, both welcoming the other as each kisser felt their hearts desire expressed. Sly's arms were around her, tenderly pressing her warmth against his. She moved her hands from her sides, slowly snaking up his body to curl around his neck and shoulders. Both hearts fluttered around like butterflies as their real feelings were exposed.

After a moment, Carmelita pulled back gently, Sly still holding her hips against him. She tingled all over from that kiss, and his touch, and from Sly's expression, he wasn't feeling too bad either. She sighed.

'This still isn't right,' she reminded Sly softly. He pulled her into a gentle hug, and she folded her arms against her chest, her elbows tucked into her sides. He stroked her back with one hand as she leant her head on his chest. He rested his head over her own, his chin tucking her head into the niche it created.

'It must be,' he whispered in her ear, sending a shiver down her spine. 'It feels too right to be wrong.'

He moved his head and stopped his hand at her hips as she lifted her head to look up at him with those big golden-brown eyes. He sighed inwardly at how beautiful she looked, and how warm she felt in his arms.

'Maybe it is.' she whispered, nuzzling back into his chest. 'Maybe they're wrong, and this is right.' She said into his chest, but Sly heard every word.

He stroked her hair with a hand, looking down at the lithe, surprisingly light frame he held in his arms. Wasn't she attacking him just half an hour ago? He chuckled. Her attitude could change at the drop of a hat. Thank goodness he could get through to her today, what a stroke of luck. Looking at her face, almost hidden by her curls and his shirt. He remembered what he had seen of her inner soul, and realised what he saw. She was lonely.

Sly grinned. He could fix that, if she'd let him. He cuddled her and stroked her hair again. It felt so nice between his fingers. She looked up, her eyebrows raised, and he smiled kindly at her, still stroking her hair. She blushed and looked away.

Carmelita felt the heat rise to her cheeks. Damn that handsome raccoon! How was it she could ignore every jerk's stupid comments at work, but one smile from this arrogant thief and she was blushing like a schoolgirl. Sly spoke, continuing the ignored conversation.

'Whether it is or isn't doesn't matter,' he told her wisely. Carmelita remembered what she'd said, and looked up at him questioningly. He grinned at her. 'We can decide later. Now, just enjoy.'

Carmelita looked at him for a moment, then beamed happily, nodding. Sly smiled and brought a hand to her chin, tilting it up to kiss her again.

Purely for enjoyment.

A/N: Sorry if the ending sucks, I couldn't figure out how to wind it up. The whole story is just feelings, and senses, but hey, I was half asleep when it came to me. I think Carmelita is out of character, but I don't want to change it because I'll wreck the original idea. Please tell me what you thought! Until next time!


End file.
